Mangroves on southwestern coast of India exhibit remarkable heat tolerance crucial for climate resilience, says study

A recent study conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, and the Kerala Forest Research Institute has revealed that mangroves on the southwestern coast of India exhibit exceptionally high heat tolerance, potentially making them more resilient to future climate change. A team of researchers led by Dr. Deepak Barua, Associate Professor and Deputy Chair, Biology, IISER, and Sreejith Kalpuzha Ashtamoorthy, Principal Scientist and head, Forest Ecology department, KFRI, analysed as many as 13 mangrove species, including Aegiceras corniculatum, Avicennia marina, and Bruguiera gymnorhiza and found that they maintained wide thermal safety margins, allowing them to thrive under higher temperature conditions than earlier assumed. The study emerges at a crucial time as coastal ecosystems, particularly mangroves, confront escalating threats due to climate change, characterised by rising temperatures and an uptick in heat waves. Species with larger leaves, such as Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Sonneratia alba, exhibited enhanced heat tolerance, likely necessary because bigger leaves experience higher leaf temperatures,” Abdulla Naseef, PhD Scholar, KFRI, said.